teepeeat

Commercial types clearly need to go with the machinery unless it is really small scale.

For me doing firewood for own use as well as some for friends, I prefer the axe as it keeps me fit and warm in the winter.

Another one for the fiskars X series. Most of my wood is smallish coppiced type stuff so the x17 does the bulk, including the big straight grained stuff.

The X27 comes out for the odd awkward lump - not been beaten by any gnarly bits yet.

relatively fresh cut Elder can be yellow like that, but the bark didnt seem right

Didnt tradesmen in the past generally head out on the road as a Journeyman to gain more varied experience in their trade before settling down to work.

To me, woofing could serve the same purpose in letting youngsters gain experience in life.

By happy chance it also takes the generally urban youth of today to the countryside where most of these opportunities exist. (just one small example - in tektom's case he has learned to rear chickens as well as slaughter them - a valuable lesson in where your food comes from and what it takes to get it on your plate. This is something often mentioned these days in the media etc including on arbtalk occasionally if I am not mistaken)

As Tektom has inferred, and it needs to be re-itterated, life lessons and skills are worth a lot, beyond mere money.

Do you do the xmas markets Ian?

Well done, good on you!

 

Question, whilst living your humble existence, did you at any time rely upon UK or reciprocal EU healthcare provision, did you qualify for any government funding - student loan, JSA etc etc, did you pay your council tax to have your (without a doubt reduced) garbage cleared, did you use a library, a bus, any local government services, public toilet, did you walk on lit streets, call upon the services of the local constabulary or fire service? Maybe you get the point, if you answered 'yes' to any of the above, you're welcome, the tax paying few were in part funding your holiday.

 

It might be that a small part of me is envious of your personal situation (not in a way that I'd want to trade places) but I do 'get' the romantic ideal and I salute you for doing it. Trouble I have with that though is the hopelessly romantic vision doesn't really stand up to scrutiny and it's possible to see the carefree, off the grid, drop out, traveller actually as a drain on the society that is providing the platform for that chosen lifestyle.

Dont know anything about Tektom, but as a tax payer, I feel that youngsters should all go out and do something like this. It will teach them valuable lessons in life as well as practical skills.

To many come out of school knowing little about life and this sort of existence will be good for them and the tax payer in the long term as they will learn a lot about themselves and what they want to do with their lives and they will settle into society as more rounded individuals.

I enquired about the servicing of my old 076 pre chain brake saw with a local service engineer. He was happy to service as long as I dropped it off with no bar and chain. ie he was just going to service the engine. That seemed to cover it for him as far as liabilities went.

unless wood is kept in a "dry" atmosphere, it will match the relitive humidity around it, remember it is a natural material, it will give up moisture to a drier enviroment, likewise it will take up moisture from a wetter one, forget moisture meters, if it rings when struck, it'll burn fine

Exactly.

No matter how dry you make your wood, if the custormer doesnt store it in some sort of controlled environment - and I dont think anybody is going to do that - it will adjust to current conditions.

Unless you are in a rush or dont have the space to store large quantities, kiln drying is a bit of a waste of energy me thinks.

Also find it difficult to see how it can give a decent return. At least a solar kiln uses free energy, but one that is powered - cant see it.

Same here Stubby but how do you sign it 3 times?

Tom, Dick and Harry perhaps

no, but open to invites of the all expenses paid kind?

:lol:

havnt made one, but know of a guy who did and decided to turn it into a picture frame with a beautiful photo of his mother-in-law as figured it was too good for the throne.

Got a frosty reception and nobody commented on the lovely figuring or the excellent workmanship.

Some people !!

True story btw.

Mind you, would have helped if he had not left the lid attached

:lol:

he had a wicked sense of humour:lol:

yup nice spot. Weather permitting could be a nice day out.

If you have kids, would be a good trip with a little reward for the successful young fisherman/woman ?

My big brothers neighbours won about £270k about 15 years back.

Nice folks, but it affected the way people treated them.

They chose to stay in their modest house, people slagged them off for that.

Ronnie walked into the local and didn't get the beers in. Tight sod.

Ronnie walked into the local and got the beers in. Flash barsteward.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

Personally would not tell a soul if I won. Not interested in flash cars, bling etc and like my house so not sure what I would do with it, but I am sure it would not go to waste.

Very first ticket I had got 4 numbers, but only £46. First couple of years if I didnt win a tenner every Friday there was something wrong, but not much since

As Hodge says, got to be in it to win it so best I remember to actually buy a ticket sometime

What is it that is a problem for the dogs - is it a physical pain for the ears or is it just a psychological thing because it is unnatural and loud. Since gun dogs dont seem to object to the noise and some dogs seem fine, would it be an idea to expose the dogs, particularly when young to a fireworks display so they see everybody enjoying it and put it down to something.... I was going to say good, but perhaps just not bad or something to fear.

That said, people setting off fireworks outside of a couple of days a year is completely unnecessary.

Neighbours at it again tonight.

 

I think this is the 9th night on the run my youngest collie has been panic stricken, spewing up yet hardly eaten a thing.

 

Not nice to watch night after night. Sure changed my attitude to the festivities.

the neighbours are taking the piss a bit - 9 days on the trot??

What about videoing the dog and showing them? They might just be a happy lot who like a party, but if shown the consequences they might well relent and you can come to some sort of amicable arrangement.

Failing that see if they like you ringing up logs every evening for a few weeks!

Pity I'm away at the moment else would have been round to Morten in the Marsh.

The NHLS web site is a bit short on local match info - none listed, so where else can we find this sort of info? Must be some sort of list of competitions, demonstrations etc - regional and national. Seems odd for the national society not to list them?? Or is eveybody out laying hedges

signed a while ago when this was first mentioned and a bit disappointed to see so few signatures.

Best get round the friends and family to sign up as well

also meant to say that would having one being idle some of the time really cost you a lot?

If you choose the two vehicles carefully you could cover more varied work and have each vehicle doing work that it is more suited to which will mean less wear & tear, so saving on maintenance and replacement - no slogging off road with a 2 wheel drive if you also have a 4x4 for instance.

Only down side is the additional cost of the second vehicle, but there are plus points if you can get the sums to work re improved income.

Why not run two vehicles???

If there are two of you you can be a lot more flexible - while one is tipping the other can be moving on to the next site to set up, while one is clearing up the other can nip off to fit in a quote etc etc.

Also means if a slightly bigger job comes up needing more tools, machinery or people you have the capacity to expand temporarily.

If you have a breakdown with one vehicle, you have another to be going on with rather than everything coming to a grinding halt.

going to agree with woodguy -

the best wood is any dry wood

I think inline fan is maybe too fast and cooling the air as it shifts it! Bigger dia ducting and a slower fan might be better, but I'm no expert, obviously!!! all I know is kitchen is like an oven and sitting room like a fridge!!

yes, would have thought low speed fan shifting larger volume in a bigger duct would be better

I'm more concerned i know what a dutch rudder is....

Never heard of a dutch letter or a dutch rudder .........and I am half dutch. Now I'm all confused

Easily done mind

PS Mr STUMP, sorry to hear about your mates ebay woes and good to know how that particular scam works - good heads up.

Like it!

 

I have to try harder to make my imagination take charge of my eagerness to finish the job and in doing that, take a moment to see the potential rather than smashing through it to get cleared up. The dilemma is how to realise a monetary value from it so that it is more than 'hobby work' and more like an alternative income stream.

yea, know what you mean. I think reading these threads will pay off at some point and taking 5 minutes to consider the possibilities before charging in will also help. Once I have tried a few things hopefully it will become easier to spot the potential.

yea, nice job

Would agree with previous suggestions re keeping it out the wet - as long as the water that will inevitably get onto the top of the polythene is given somewhere to go.

Also like the suggestion of mesh as anti-slip

Also wondered if a possible improvement might be to give it a very gentle camber each way from the centre to help shed water??

Does this count? It hasn't been milled though just a knuckle off a sycamore that I saved from the firewood pile[ATTACH]167764[/ATTACH][ATTACH]167765[/ATTACH][ATTACH]167766[/ATTACH][ATTACH]167767[/ATTACH]

nice use of a gnarly bit of wood.

Just wondering where the access hatch is for the bucket under the hole

:lol:

its subtle, but think there's a face peering out from this oak

 

.

haha obviously not subtle enough - from his expression he has just realised you have rumbled him